Causes of Weight Loss in Pets. Image: elwynn / via Shutterstock. Sudden Weight Loss in Pets. By John Gilpatrick. While controlled weight loss, planned in conjunction with a veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist, is incredibly beneficial for pets that are overweight, there are certain forms of weight loss in animals that can be concerning.“If a patient is on a weight loss plan for obesity, vets generally recommend about one to two percent loss of bodyweight per week,” says Lara Bartl, DVM, DABVP, assistant professor at the Virginia- Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech University, but unless you are trying to achieve weight loss, she adds, any weight loss should be considered significant and investigated. Unplanned or rapid weight loss may be symptomatic of something serious. Here are the most common reasons for unwanted weight loss in pets: Parasites. Cailin Heinze, assistant professor of nutrition at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, says cases of weight loss related to parasites aren’t as common as they once were because many pets are on monthly heartworm protection drugs. However, not all products are equally effective against all worms.“Whipworms, in particular, aren’t killed by a lot of products,” she says. These are more common in dogs than in cats and pets will contract these by ingesting contaminated food or water. Along with weight loss, symptoms of an intestinal parasite in pets can include include vomiting (intermittent or persistent), soft stool, diarrhea and/or decreased appetite. Using a broad spectrum de- wormer, Heinze says, is one of the first things vets might do to help a dog with these symptoms. Cancer. Intestinal cancer (lymphoma and/or lymphosarcoma) is one that causes weight loss in both dogs and cats, Heinze says. While it’s more common in older dogs than cats, it’s a serious diagnosis. The tumor may appear in the stomach, intestines, or rectum and other symptoms include vomiting, poor appetite, and abdominal pain. Additionally, any type of cancerous process can cause weight loss, including cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, gallbladder and kidneys. Kidney Disease. Unlike some of the other conditions for which weight loss is a symptom, pets with kidney disease won’t start dropping pounds right away. The difference: pets with kidney disease will drink and urinate a lot, while cats with hyperthyroidism eat to excess and have excessive thirst (polyuria). Advanced Heart Disease. Like kidney disease, pets with heart disease won’t start losing weight immediately. In fact, some dogs may gain weight, despite a loss of appetite (the cause: bloat). Generally speaking, Heinze says loss of appetite is the easiest way to tell if your pet’s weight loss is concerning or not. Weight loss can sometimes be achieved by feeding less of your dog's regular maintenance diet and this strategy is most effective in dogs that are only mildly or. Donna Spector and The Dog Food Advisor show you how to help your overweight dog lose weight. Here are six reasons you’ve hit a weight loss plateau and the simple changes you should make to lose more weight. Is weight loss surgery the obesity treatment for you? WebMD explains the benefits and risks of bariatric surgery. If you’ve noticed a small amount of unplanned weight loss, try adding calories to their diet, she says. The experiment must be controlled, which also means vigilance against feeding table scraps or too many treats. Dental Disease. Oral pain, Bartl says, may lead to weight loss in pets, as dogs and cats will have a hard time chewing hard kibble when they’re dealing with an abscess or other gum problem. Treatment for the underlying condition should address the weight loss problem, but monitor your pet’s appetite closely to make sure it’s back on track. Changing Food. Not all cases of seemingly inexplicable weight loss are explained by a disease or a condition. Heinze says one of the most common explanations for weight loss is changing your pet’s food.“I have had people come to me because their dog is losing weight. How to Help Your Dog Lose Weight. Letting your dog become overweight can shorten its life dramatically. Dogs that are overweight are more susceptible to illnesses. Olive Oil for Dogs — 8 Reasons to Add it to Your Dog’s Diet Olive oil for dogs is a good way to enhance your canine companion's diet and beauty regimens. They had a complete work- up done and no one could find anything wrong,” she says. The owners were feeding it the same amount every day, but the new food had 2. Heinze says it’s easy to miss this because foods are marketed in seemingly haphazard ways when it comes to nutrition. Heinze says that if you’re looking for food that’s truly meant to help your dog lose weight, look for the word “light” on the label. Stress. This is not as common as medical causes, Bartl says, but stress can cause changes in a pet’s appetite and should not be overlooked. She lists changes in the household and the addition of a new pet as possible sources of stress- induced weight loss. Concerned your pet is stressed? Look for these five signs of stress in cats or find out how to calm an anxious dog. Reasons You're Not Losing Weight - What's Causing Your Weight- Loss Plateau. Diet Mistakes Causing Your Weight- Loss Plateau. Food journal? Regular workouts? Yes, indeed. Enough fiber to keep an entire army regular? I know how to lose weight. I've been writing about the topic for more than a decade. That's why it was so frustrating when the pounds clung to me like a codependent boyfriend, no matter how hard I tried. A lot of women have this problem, the experts tell me. I combed through research and grilled diet gurus to pinpoint little- known reasons that your efforts — and mine — haven't been showing up on the scale. Who knew? You Don't Drink Enough Water. We've all heard how important H2. O is when it comes to shedding pounds. It helps to suppress appetite, so you're less likely to overeat. But that's not all: When you're dehydrated, your kidneys can't function properly, so the body turns to the liver for additional support. Because the liver is working so hard, more of the fat you consume is stored rather than burned off. What surprised me most, though, is that if you're upping your fiber intake but not also hitting the bottle hard, things tend to get a wee bit, er, backed up. Otherwise, instead of helping with digestion, fiber may actually lead to constipation. I often consume nearly double the recommended 2. Gulp. Just how much water should I be drinking? So the eight- cups- a- day rule applies only to sedentary women who weigh 1. That amount of liquid — for me, 1. I fill up with about a liter at each meal, and I'm a peeing machine. You Skimp on Protein. Several studies show that high- protein diets result in more pounds shed, at least initially. Protein enhances the feeling of satiety and prevents your losing muscle as you lose fat. You also have dietary thermogenesis, which is the energy you burn to process and use the food you eat, on your side. To accomplish that, I have Greek yogurt (1. I eat a few ounces of lean poultry (2. I snack on a handful of raw almonds (6 grams). As a result, I feel fuller — sometimes so full I don't even sneak a bite of my son's ice cream (the way I used to whether I was hungry or not) — so it's easier to keep daily calories in check. More Reasons Why You're Not Losing Weight. You Sit at a Desk All Day. I log a solid hour of exercise almost every day, but outside of that, my time is mostly spent sitting in front of a computer. Much to my dismay, research finds that dedicated workouts simply can't compensate for being sedentary the rest of the time. According to one University of Missouri- Columbia study, sitting for just a few hours causes your body to stop making a fat- inhibiting enzyme called lipase. Getting up and walking for just two minutes during each of those hours burns an additional 5. University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee. Experts recommend setting a timer on the computer to remind you to move every hour, but what's helped me is the Fitbit One ($1. I keep this activity tracker clipped to my bra 2. I won't go to bed until I've logged 1. To accomplish that, I heed some of those recommendations we've all heard a million times (. I even jog in place while brushing my teeth and watching TV. At first my husband and son laughed their skinny little butts off at me, but now seeing me hopping around the living room strikes them as normal. Walks are part of my family's evening routine, and . Move- more mission: accomplished. Your Numbers Are Off. I've always considered myself a math whiz, so I assumed that I had the whole calories- in, calories- out formula down pat. Here's how I determined how many I should eat a day: I got my basal metabolic rate (BMR, or the amount of calories I need to maintain my weight) using the online calculator at fitnessmagazine. I entered . That gave me about 2,4. Then I added whatever calories I burn during my workouts (usually about 5. That meant I could eat almost 3,0. Sure, it seemed high, but I had used a calculator. It had to be right! Not so fast, Coulter says. Math club membership revoked! All this time I had thought my daily needs were 5. No wonder I'd been maintaining instead of losing. Get Your BMRYou Work Out Regularly. I know, I know. How can an exercise routine make you gain? For starters, people tend to eat more when they work out, either because they feel they've earned it or because they're overestimating how much they've burned — or both. Olson, Ph. D, a FITNESS advisory board member and professor of exercise science at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama. It's a good thing. So I'll take Olson's advice and stay active, well- hydrated.. You're a Stress Case. I'm a lot like the lab rats — and humans — who turn to comfort food and pack on pounds when they're under duress. I can practically feel my belly expanding every time I have a meltdown over something, including my weight- loss efforts. Luckily, a lot of the things I'm doing to whittle my middle should also ease my angst. Smith notes. I've increased my water and protein intake, I move more throughout the day, and I'm trying to stress less. But one of the best things I've done has been — go figure — not weighing myself, at least for a little while, as Olson suggested. I was tempted in the beginning, but I stuck to my scale embargo for a month. Now I weigh in weekly, but the fluctuations don't bother me. Because I know I'm creating a daily calorie deficit, and I've found other ways to measure my progress (see . I know the fat is coming off, no matter what the scale says. I feel enlightened — in more ways than one. Beyond the Numbers. When the scale bums you out, here are three other ways to gauge your progress. How do your clothes fit? Try on the same pair of jeans and shirt every six to eight weeks. How do you feel? You should have more energy, sleep better, and feel less stressed. How much can you do? Keep a workout log and track how much weight you can lift and how many miles you can walk or run. Originally published in FITNESS magazine, May 2.
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